Nathan Fillion

Canadian actor Nathan Fillion had already made a name for himself in the daytime television world with a three-year stint on ABC's "One Life to Live" (1968- ) when "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Fox, 199...
Read More...

Oh, Firefly. Has it really been ten years?
After the success of Buffy and Angel, which both had lengthy runs and continue to live on in other mediums, Joss Whedon turned his sights to the old west. Of space, that is. Firefly took the model of classic TV Westerns and put it on a spaceship, the other end of the attitude spectrum from sci-fi staples like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. For fans of the genre, it was gift from the genre Gods. For executives at Fox it was a DOA hour-long that eventually found its head on the chopping block.
But the love for Firefly disappeared, "Browncoat" fandom (as it dubbed) growing exponentially after the series hit DVD. The voice of Firefly fans was heard loud and clear by Fox, and in 2005, the studio gave Whedon the chance to make his big screen debut with the cinematic adaptation Serenity. While it wasn't a huge box office success, the movie was a win for fans, and another log in the fire for fans of the show.
As a testament to that dedication, San Diego Comic-Con assembled the original crew of the spaceship Serenity, including Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau, along with Whedon himself, to take a look back at Firefly in honor of its 10th anniversary. With the ensemble as lively as ever, insight and one-liners were shot faster than Mal's Taurus 85 pistol.
Creator Whedon opened things up by commenting on the crafting of his masterful series. He said, "I wanted to create something that felt real. Like history. I wanted to tell an American immigrant story. A western story. But I need spaceships or I get cranky." Whedon then quoted his wife, who apparently had an influence in the hiring of one if the show's producers: "Joss, you need Tim Minear on Firefly or you will never leave that set and the other shows will die. The only thing that will make Firefly work is Tim Minear. She was right. Best move I ever made."
Whedon struggles with structure, but loves emotion, admitting, "I went in and made things sad." The showrunner went on to profess a great deal of appreciation for his stars, recalling the "long and ghastly" audition process: "As I've said before, these are the finest meat puppets I've ever controlled. It's hard for me because I do remember the time before these people played these parts. I remember the audition process ... Then comes written history where these were the people before I wrote it. They became someone else. They were those people before they met me. Even if they hadn't been playing them, that particular type of person. It's so... Summer is so crazy. The amount of vulnerability and strength she can convey is beyond magnetic. I look at her and think I will come with her if I want to live."
Whedon continued: "You have to make comprises [laughs]. Jewel makes me cry. Gina is the most badass woman I've ever seen. The people who are not here, my heart is breaking. I miss them so much." Whedon then touched specifically on star Fillion: "There was never moment before the day we meant that [Nathan was] not the Captain. Nathan is the Captain. He's around making sure people are having a great time, doing the best job. The captain of a ship and the lead in a show have a role that most actors aren't up to. They can't convey the enormous gravitas that this clown can. To have a man, when he looks at you and isn't happy...we had an actor who was disrespectful to some of the female actors. They saw another side of Nathan. He gets very... Canadian."
Fillion also expressed great admiration for his showrunner: "No one would give me a chance to be anything other than the fifth guy. Joss Whedon gave me the best character I've ever played." Maher added, "What I loved about the show [is that] my first introduction to the world of Firefly came out of Joss' mouth. All I had was that Simon speech in the pilot to go on. First thing I said to Joss was, 'Please tell me about this world.' Which was extraordinary. I didn't see it as sci-fi. I like post-apocalyptic Western."
Apparently, the team developed quite a familiarity with one another. Alan stated, "When we first started the series, Nathan came up to everyone and said, 'we have to learn everyone's name.'" Fillion knew them all. Quickly. "It brought us together as a family."
Baldwin discussed his character's iconic hat, and how it worked its way into his characterization: "One of the women in the office was a good...knitter? Knitter. She made two of these, I thought it was great, beautiful. This was the last episode we shot and I asked Tim, 'Can I wear this throughout the episode?' He said, 'I don't know...' And I said, 'I'm doing it. Joss isn't here. I'm doing it.' It was nice because I could take it off to honor Tracey's parents at the end of the episode. I always like to have doings. Jane was a man of few words, but he always had things. I worked closely with the prop guys. This [hat] was like a birthday cake in the wasteland."
But beyond the cast and crew, Firefly afforded these people relationships with their fans. Said Baldwin, "[We] were introduced to the online community, feedback they gave us over time, was inspirational. Upon cancelation of the show, I went to Joss' office and...I saw determination in his eyes. But when the fan community that was interacting with us...they never gave up. Joss knew that and he never gave up either. One of the best times in my life was to see the show resurrected as a major motion picture."
Whedon added, "I look back and think of the movie Serenity as one of the finest nervous breakdowns a man can have. I was inconsolable. It changed me. There was no reality where I didn't get these people back together. And I really haven't given a shit about anything since. It was like being a man. Or so I read."
Of course, some of the cast's memories regarding fans were delivered with less... sentiment. Fillion said to Whedon, "A woman walked up to you and just broke down into tears," provoking the writer to reply, "I kicked her."
One particularly sharp fan asked Whedon and the cast how the project's conclusion, Serenity, might have differed had they known they were only going to have one season. Whedon mentioned a more fervent exploration of the Blue Sun conspiracy, and more thorough explanation of Book's and Inara's stories. He also admits that he wouldn't have killed off any characters, provoking Tudyk to celebrate with a triumphant arm raise."
But more of a victory than that admission was the feeling the cast and fans got when Whedon stated, "The way in which you have inhabited this universe, you're living Firefly. When I see you guys, I don't think the show is off the air." While Firefly might have ended too soon, the love inspired for, and among, the cast and crew, lives on. Here's hoping for just as many thrills at the eleventh anniversary!
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
More:
'Comic-Con 2012: Burning TV Questions for SDCC
'The Avengers' Pics: See Joss Whedon as Super-Director
'Falling Skies' Season 2: Summer Sci-Fi for People Who Are Serious About Sci-Fi
[Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox]

The get together at Comic-Con in San Diego, California on 13 July (12) will mark the show's 10th anniversary.
The panel will include stars Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher and Michael Fairman, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It's a tall order to try and top a series cliffhanger like Castle's third season finale where Kate Beckett's life hung in the balance — oh, and let's not forget Castle's post-shooting declaration of love. But the show managed to pull off yet another gripping closer for the end of its fourth season. Sure, there weren't any bullets to chest this time around, but the writers gave fans something they've been waiting nearly four years for: a Beckett-Castle romance!
Yes, these two finally laid all their feelings for each other on the table and actually did something about it. And let me just be the first one to say — it's about time! At first, I was nervous this was going to end up being not as great as I had envisioned, given that I've had this relationship up on a pedestal for so many years now. But I needn't have worried. These two have more chemistry than Breaking Bad's Walter White would know what to do with, making their union not only desirable, but pivotal to the show's continued success.
Let's face it, this love story needed to reach a new level soon or fans (i.e. me) would start getting frustrated to the point of tuning out entirely. In fact, I was getting nervous we were going to wait for it all to come to a head next season since Beckett became obsessed, once again, with her mother's murder (surprise, surprise). But thankfully the writers granted us a much-needed make out session between our two favorite partners in crime with the promise of a real romance from here on out. And Castle's little speech about how he's more than just her partner was nothing short of adorable. Umm...is it Fall yet?
That's not to say that episode was only based on this romantic plot line. In fact, at one point Beckett's life quite literally dangled in the balance when she nearly fell to her death from a high-rise after facing off against her would-be assassin from Season 3 — without backup. Luckily, she was saved at the last minute by Ryan and the Feds, whom he called against her wishes. And while the decision inevitably saved Beckett's life, it got Esposito suspended and prompted Beckett to resign from the police force entirely. (What the what?) Friendships and careers will definitely be on the line come next season.
And about that leverage that Smith has on the bad guys (you know, the documents that have been keeping Beckett safe this entire season): It's is about to be ripped from underneath him. After leaving Beckett to hang off the roof, the assassin tracked Smith down, demanding whatever incriminating documents Smith has on his boss. It's unclear yet if Smith is going to cower to this guy's demands, but things will certainly be bad for Beckett if he does. After all, without that leverage, there's nothing keeping her safe, which is ironic (and totally necessary for next season's drama) since she just decided to forget about her mother's killer, focus on being with Castle, and turn in her gun and her resignation from the force.
Beckett may not have a bullet in her chest right now, but it looks like another target is about to be placed on her head. You don't need to be a detective or mystery writer to know that this fairytale romance is far from its happy ending.
What did you think of the season finale? Did it live up to last season's expectations or did you feel the cliffhanger just wasn't as griping? Are you happy that Castle and Beckett are finally getting together? Sound off in the comments below!
Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyBean0415
More:
One-on-One: Tamala Jones of Castle Dishes on The Future of Castle and Beckett
ABC Extends Fourth Season of Castle

These days, the amount of web series available online rivals that of actual television programming. In addition, the once held misconception that web series are some how inherently inferior to TV shows is largely dying off. One such web series that helped buck that notion is 2008’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. But don’t worry if you didn’t catch it online, no need to search and watch it episodically. Netflix’s has added the movie version, which is essentially the full length story arc sewn together, to its Watch Instantly service. Don’t have much time to spare? Fear not, this genre gem is less than 45 minutes long.
Who Made It: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is the brainchild of Joss Whedon, a man high in the running for the title of King of the Geeks. Joss created such incredible niche programming as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Angel. In addition to co-writing the phenomenal The Cabin in the Woods, opening in two weeks, Whedon is also of course directing what is easily the most anticipated movie of 2012: The Avengers.
Who’s In It: Former child TV star, turned incredibly talented adult TV and film star, Neil Patrick Harris takes the titular role in this web series. Joining him, or more accurately opposing him, is frequent Joss Whedon collaborator, and fanboy icon in his own right, Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer.
What’s It About: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a musical told from the perspective of aspiring supervillain Dr. Horrible, alias Billy, who in addition to constructing a freeze ray, is desperately trying to muster the courage to speak to the girl of his dreams, Penny. His efforts on both fronts are being thwarted by smarmy, arrogant, inexplicably beloved superhero Captain Hammer. As he seeks to acquire the last component of his device, he is horrified to find that he has accidentally driven the object of his affection right into the arms of his mortal enemy. How will we win her back?
Why You Should Watch It:
One of the biggest reasons to watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is Dr. Horrible himself. Neil Patrick Harris is a fantastically versatile actor and he showcases his chops both as a thespian and as a singer here. On the former side, he delivers an extremely complex character driven by the dual desire to be recognized as a legitimate force of evil and still be everything that sweet, good-hearted Penny desires. As a singer, his voice is vibrant and ear-pleasing, but also full of personality. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the songs in this flick are outstanding; well composed, funny, and emotionally stirring when the occasion calls. I defy you not to get the final number stuck in your head for days.
Joss Whedon is a guy who likes to take tropes and familiar stories apart, see how all the cogs and gears fit together, and then reconstitute them into something that looks very similar, but runs on a much smarter engine. With Dr. Horrible, Whedon reimagines a villain origin story with many of the recognizable beats that transform a good man into an evil one, but with the added twist that the man in question already thinks he is evil. So what we’re really watching is the transformation from decent human being with delusions of infamy devolve into legitimate monster. The film subtlety, and without sacrificing the humor, examines the common thread that tends to bind both good and evil: love. It’s a fascinating take on both superhero fiction and the romantic comedy.
Have I mentioned how hilarious this movie is? Because it is pretty freaking hilarious. Care for some examples? There is a league of evil, an organization to which Dr. Horrible is desperate to belong, led by a villain called Bad Horse. Whenever Bad Horse sends Horrible a message, it is read aloud by a chorus of cowboys in perfect rhyme. On top of that gag, Nathan Fillion is consistently uproarious as the painfully narcissistic, but ultimately idiotic hero. You also have to love that Dr. Horrible’s hapless sidekick, Moist, has only the super ability to…make things damp. There is a smattering of hero/villain relationship jokes peppering the film as well; noting the number of injuries Horrible has sustained at the hands of Hammer for instance. But as hilarious as all of this is, I love that it also has the guts to get really dark near the end. The balance of tones is masterful.

Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
="font-style:>

Head will take on the role of centaur Chiron in Percy Jackson &amp; The Olympians: The Sea Of Monsters.
Teen pin-up Logan Lerman will return for the sequel, which will also feature Nathan Fillion, Missi Pyle and Yvette Nicole Brown.

S5E12: Our favorite fearsome foursome of physicists has returned just in time to celebrate the 100th episode of The Big Bang Theory. Tonight’s episode is the 99th and it’s about the trials of how to be a better boyfriend and the possible perils of child rearing. The impending Leonard/Penny reunion takes a back seat to the troubles of Howard and Bernadette and Sheldon and Amy.
“If we poison the critical thinking faculties of children by telling them that rabbits come out of hats, then we create adults who believe in astrology and homeopathy, and that Ryan Reynolds was a better choice for Green Lantern than loveable rogue, Nathan Fillion.” – Sheldon
The cold open focuses on Sheldon and Howard’s quasi-ongoing debate about the wonders of magic as Howard dazzles Raj and Leonard with his amateur tricks that he will perform at his cousin’s birthday. Sheldon of course has his reservations. The Big Bang Theory is usually at its best when knocking Dr. Sheldon Cooper down a peg or two, but this week’s cold open felt way too contrived and considering Sheldon claimed he still had a coin shoved up his nose since when he was boy, it was definitely a little too “sitcomy” for this sitcom. At least less than two minutes in and we’ve already gotten the uber-geeky reference of the Green Lantern, who Nathon Fillon actually did get to portray (if in voice only in the Emerald Knights straight to DVD movie). Extra geeky points for the fact that both actors were part of Two Guys a Girl, and Pizza Place, a sitcom that ran from 1998–2001.
“Our relationship agreement specifies that the second Thursday of every month or the third Thursday in a month with five Thursdays is date night.” – Amy Farah Fowler
“That is so hot.” – Penny As per the recent development of Sheldon and Amy dating, the couple heads to the Cheesecake Factory. After agreeing to the minutes of their last date, Sheldon talks about his day which included attaining 100 Twitter followers. Amy’s far better news that her Biology paper will be published doesn’t seem to excite Sheldon, nor does he even pretend to be excited for Amy. As always, it’s up to Penny to point out Sheldon’s social faux paus, but Sheldon still doesn’t get it since biology is about “squishy things.” While Amy is the bathroom freshening up, Penny tries to convince Sheldon to just smile and at least act happy, but Sheldon can only go on about his love of Koala Bears, thus filling the seemingly once every few episode quota of Sheldon adoring a random cute animal. I’m hoping Sugar Gliders are next.
Sheldon heads back home to talk a late night walk to clear his head, ala the game Red Dead Redemption because after 9 “the streets of Pasadena are teeming with drunken sailors and alley cats.” He talks with Leonard while taking his virtual stroll and the diminutive physicist convinces Sheldon to get Amy a gift.
Like many men of average intelligence, Sheldon’s problems are solved thanks to Leonard’s advice, because all woman, including Amy Farah Fowler absolutely LOVE jewelry and she completely fawns over Sheldon’s apology present; a tiara for his princess.
“When it’s our kid that has ruined my body and kept me all night and I have no career and no future and nothing to be happy about for the next twenty years, sure that will be completely different!” – Bernadette
Meanwhile, Bernadette and Howard are having problems of their own when Howard learns that not only does Bernadette not like kids, she hates them. After snapping at one of the kids at the birthday party, she explains to Howard that she had to take care of her younger brother and sister and it was awful. Howard talks over his problems with Raj and Leonard over a game of Donkey Kong Jenga, which is color-coordinated with the purple of Leonard and Raj’s costumes; Howard begins to face the fact that even though Bernie is the best girl he’s ever had, her not wanting kids is a deal breaker. Luckily for the engineer, Bernadette has figured out a solution. Since she makes more money than he does, Howard can be a stay at home dad and deal with all of the annoying stuff. Apparently that whole ruining her body thing is negligible.
One of the great things about The Big Bang Theory is that when it first started, it was a show about four nerds and their hot, clueless friend. Over the past five years, Amy and Bernadette have been introduced and often times the boys take a backseat to the girls, who were the MVPs of this episode. Maybe the cast was gearing up for the big 100th show at the time they filmed this, but it just seemed like the guys phoned this episode in. Either that, or they were just way too mopey for a sitcom. That and Leonard and Raj were barely visible, except for a few scenes. Penny, Bernadette, and Amy Farah Fowler each had a big chance to outshine their male counterparts and they did just that, especially Melissa Rauch, who makes Bernadette being engaged to such a scuzzball like Howard believable.
So one week back and no mention of Raj’s deaf girlfriend or any seeds planted for next week’s big reunion. But the Friends of the new millennium is back and that is never a bad thing. Even a sub-par Big Bang is better than most comedies on television. Despite a valiant humorous effort from the ladies and a few choice lines from Sheldon and Leonard, this week’s episode falls on the lower half of the Periodic Table. Here’s hoping that next week, the Big Bang celebrates its 100th with…well a bang.

There’s no better dressed, more affable police sidekick on TV than Castle’s Det. Kevin Ryan. Ricard Castle and Kate Beckett might monopolize our attention most of the series with their ongoing will they, won’t they relationship but 10 p.m. tonight by saying he will (for life), Ryan, played by Seamus Dever, will marry his onscreen fiancé Jenny in "'Till Death Do Us Part" on ABC. We recently spoke with Dever about tonight’s big episode. Surprisingly, Jenny is played by Dever’s real-life wife Juliana, so he obviously had a lot to say about getting married for the second time, this time on a national network. He also threw us his opinion on whether Castle and Beckett should just finally get it on and give us all the hook up we’ve been waiting for during the past three invigorating seasons. His answer might surprise you.
What’s it like getting married again to your real wife, but this time on national TV? I think the best part is the budget for our wedding was immediately exponentially higher than our real wedding and ABC fit the bill, so it’s cool ... My wife, who now plays my wife on the show, Juliana, she looked great in her gown and did really well. And I liked my tux ...We also got some new wedding photographs out of it ... I’ve been married for five-and-a-half years, so it’s nice to get some updated photos.
Now, there’s a wedding website/teaser for the episode at Our Wedding. How did that come about? Yeah, that’s all my wife’s ideas. Juliana. She is a brilliant marketer, so she was coming up with an idea, something we could do to publicize the episode ... Of course, there’s all those things (fabricated) that we had to put in, like how we met. Those had to get approved by my executive producer ... It’s all our pictures and everything. ABC just contacted us the other day and was like “Who did this site?” because it’s really very fictitious, I hope the TheKnot.com people are cool with it ... but it’s great because you realize how Castle is this nice, little international phenomenon, and you go on the guest book and there’s people from all over the world wishing Kevin and Jenny well. Tell us about “'Till Death Do Us Part." I’m sure some craziness is bound to happen? The wedding basically takes place at the end. Most of the episode is dealing with the build up to the wedding ... Everyone is running around, trying to figure out who they are going to bring to the wedding ... Also, Esposito is running around trying to secure a date for the wedding. Him and Lanie are on the outs so Lanie is bringing a plus 1 and he’s really curious about who it is. He really wants to bring a hot date to the wedding. Castle and Beckett are trying to figure out who their plus 1 is and that’s a fun aspect. Jenny and Kevin have decided to go on a cleanse, this master cleanse with lemon juice and we get to see Ryan sort of torture himself not eating for days up to the wedding ... It causes him to become a little edgier ... The bigger part is they find that Jenny is involved in the case, and Castle and Beckett are deciding to hold back some info from Ryan to protect him because it might alter his decision to go down the aisle.
What can we expect coming up the rest of this season? Any more of Jerry Tyson, a.k.a. the 3XK-triple killer? Interesting! I don’t know how often we are going to deal with the 3X case (Jerry Tyson) but there are some things that still remain unsolved. There’s the matter of Ryan’s badge is still out there, so it’s like one of those things that is curious. I don’t know how many times this season they want to deal with Jerry Tyson coming back to haunt Castle and all that but it should be interesting to see if we deal with that before the end of the season ... I think it would be neat because it’s nice that we have some mythology in the show that our writers have cleverly built up. There’s Beckett’s mother’s murder, which I'm sure is going to come up again before the end of the season and there’s the 3XK situation, so it should be nice to go back into that and see how it comes back to haunt us. Are you rooting for a Castle/Beckett hook up or do you think it’s better how it stands now, keeping people guessing? I don’t know how long you can keep people guessing before they go, “I don’t care anymore.” ... I’ve always been one of the people that says let them get together. Let them deal with what it’s like to see each other everyday, wake up everyday in the morning, go to work and spend all day together ... I think one of the things that people forget is even if they get together, are they ever the type of couple that is going to be happy together, they are two strong personalities, they are so strong that it is never going to be completely happily ever after, so I think there is a lot of material and a lot of places we can go with that ... So yeah, let them hook up. Castle airs 10 p.m. EST Mondays on ABC and be sure to follow Mike Rothman on Twitter @TheRealRothman.

ABC's drama Castle has roped viewers in with the charm of its leading man Nathan Fillion and its exciting melding of crime and human drama. The series is currently in its fourth season, which was set to be 22 episodes. However, ABC loves the show just enough to order one more episode for the season. Although it's not exactly a huge addition, fans should take comfort in knowing that their series is being graced with a good deal of appreciation from its home network. No matter how small, any addition is a terrific thing in the world of network television.
The new 23-episode fourth season of Castle is, as of this past Monday, on winter hiatus. The series will return to its Monday night, 10 p.m. ET/PT time slot on Jan. 9 on ABC. Until then, just consider how you'd like Fillion and Stana Katic to spend their additional hour on television in 2012.
Source: EW

A couple weeks back on Modern Family, we saw Phil leave his job at his real estate agency to take a risk with a new firm started by a couple of business partners. One of them, we have learned, will be played by Greg Kinnear. Unfortunately, Phil will also face some opposition: and it will take the form of Ellen Barkin. The film actress will play a rival to Phil in the real estate game, appearing on Modern Family in an early 2012 episode. -TVLine
Sure, Neve Campbell. You gave movies a go—and it was a good run, too! You had the Screams, Wild Things, The Company. But TV is beckoning for your return! And you've chosen the perfect means to ease the transition back to the small screen: a Lifetime movie that will also play as a backdoor pilot (which is an "episode" created with the intention to be a pilot, but filmed and presented as a TV movie so that the network can air it whether the series gets picked up or not). The movie/potential series is called Sworn to Silence, and will star Campbell as a modern girl who returns to her hometown in Amish country, taking the role of the community's chief of police. Apparently, the town has a history of murders, some of which were directly connected to Campbell's character in childhood. Yes, it's a long stride from Party of Five, but it's getting Julia Salinger back on the small screen. -EW
The balance of good and evil is constantly at bay. Yesterday, we reported that the Man in Black was taking a guest role on the NBC series Grimm. Now, his more bright-spirited brother Jacob is countering the evils of the smoke monster by enjoying his own guest role: on ABC's Castle. LOST's holy figure Mark Pellegrino is stepping onto the Castle set, prepping to play 1947 gangster Tom Dempsey, the object of the title character's imagination when he investigates a present day murder that may be linked to Dempsey's underhanded business dealings. Pellegrino will interract with star Nathan Fillion when Castle imagines himself as a '40s figure, dealing with the nefarious criminal. Thanks to glory that is TV, we get to see it all play out! Castle airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. -TVLine

Title

Appeared in Joss Whedon's Internet-distributed short "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" as Captain Hammer

Joined the sitcom "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place" (ABC) in a supporting role; became a regular cast member in the second season; show was re-titled "Two Guys and a Girl" in the third season and was canceled after the fourth season

Had a recurring role as Caleb in the final season of Joss Whedon's series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (UPN)

Appeared in an episode of "The Outer Limits" (Showtime) as a futuristic freedom fighter

Appeared in Whedon's adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing"

Made his feature film debut in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," playing a soldier with the same name as the sought after James Ryan

Cast in the lead role of Alex Tully in the short-lived series, "Drive" (Fox)

Was featured as the jealous ex-boyfriend of Alicia Silverstone in "Blast From the Past"

Reprised his role as Captain Reynolds in "Serenity," Whedon's feature-length adaptation of "Firefly"

Starred as the local sheriff in the horror film, "Slither"

Played the title character of Richard Castle, a mystery novelist who helps the NYPD solve crimes in ABC's "Castle"

Performed in Theatresports, an improvisational acting workshop at Edmonton's Rapidfire Theatre

Played Joey Buchanan on the ABC soap opera, "One Life to Live"

Appeared in the sequel "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters"

Voiced Johnny Worthington in "Monsters University"

Acted onstage in Canada's Edmonton Fringe Festival

Starred as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the Joss Whedon series "Firefly" (Fox)

Made first TV appearance in the TV-movie, "Ordeal in the Arctic" (ABC)

Co-starred with Keri Russell in the indie, "Waitress"; helmed by Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered before the films release

Reprised his role as Joey on two episodes of ABC's "One Life to Live"

Joined the cast of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" as Dr. Adam Mayfair

Summary

Canadian actor Nathan Fillion had already made a name for himself in the daytime television world with a three-year stint on ABC's "One Life to Live" (1968- ) when "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Fox, 1997-2003) creator Joss Whedon introduced him to primetime audiences in the cult sci-fi Western, "Firefly" (Fox, 2002-03). Fillion reprised his role in the big-screen spin-off, "Serenity" (2005). Mild-mannered with a subtle sense of humor and a guy-next-door realism about him, Fillion earned notice for co-starring in independent features, including the horror comedy "Slither" (2006) and the indie romantic comedy "Waitress" (2007), opposite Keri Russell. Fillion was courted to star in a number of TV projects, including the action series "Drive" (Fox, 2007) and the romantic comedy/drama "Castle" (ABC, 2009- ), and while the former vehicle proved short-lived, his glowing reviews and appeal with female audiences on the latter show revealed that if paired with the right project, he exuded an undeniable star quality.